Dilantin brain side effects are a rising concern among patients and the medical community at large. According to reports, by taking Dilantin, a prescription medication used for the treatment and prevention of seizures, patients have become increasingly at risk for contracting a condition known as cerebellar atrophy.

According to reports, medical studies have suggested that there is an alleged link between Dilantin brain side effects, such as cerebellar atrophy, and the anticonvulsant drug.

Dilantin, also known as phenytoin, is a popular anticonvulsant medication prescribed to patients for the prevention of seizures or other various forms of epilepsy. Some of the seizures treated by patients taking Dilantin include tonic-clonic seizures and partial seizures.

Some of the more common side effects of patients taking Dilantin include enlargement of the gums, increased hair growth, loss of appetite, stomach pain, nausea, and poor coordination. More serious side effects of the drug include sleepiness, self-harm, liver problems, low blood pressure, toxic epidermal necrolysis, and bone marrow suppression. Dilantin brain side effects are some of the most serious and adverse complications.

Dilantin Brain Side Effects and Cerebellar Atrophy

Dilantin cerebellar atrophy is a type of focal cerebral atrophy. Cerebral atrophy is a loss of brain cells and the connections between them.

The condition of cerebral atrophy may either be generalized or focused. It may affect either the entire brain, or certain parts of the brain like the cerebellum. Cerebral atrophy, may be caused by a variety of different factors including causes such as the environment, disease, and drug toxicity. Drug toxicity is a factor that raises the likelihood of contracting a cerebral atrophy condition.

Since the cerebellum of the brain is responsible for motor functions such as coordination, speech, movement, and balance, patients who have contracted a cerebellar atrophy condition may have walking difficulties and speaking impediments. Symptoms of cerebellar atrophy are similar to those of patients who have suffered strokes.

The link between Dilantin brain side effects and cerebellar atrophy was described in a 1994 study which looked into how the prescription medication helped its patients manage seizures.

The researchers in these studies observed that patients who had taken Dilantin had a smaller cerebellum in comparison to patients who had not been prescribed the medication. This led to further studies and inquiries.

According to a report, a study that had been published in 2003 discovered that patients who had used Dilantin for a long period of time suffered from moderate to severe atrophy. In addition, long-term Dilantin use caused patients to have worsened their damage to their cerebella in comparison to patients who have taken the medication for a shorter period of time.